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DENVER—Peyton Manning walked away a winner in the biggest game of the year so far and, as a bonus, the Broncos might not even have to send his uniform off to the cleaners.

Manning threw for 323 yards and a touchdown Sunday night and was barely touched by Kansas City’s sack-happy defence in Denver’s 27-17 victory over the NFL’s last undefeated team.

It means the 1972 Dolphins can rest easy for another year. And it puts Denver and the Chiefs in a tie atop the AFC West at 9-1, with a rematch set in two weeks.

Manning has another big game before that — at New England in yet another showdown against Tom Brady. If the Broncos’ offensive line does anywhere near as good a job in that one as it did against the Chiefs, the quarterback’s ailing ankles — mummified with athletic tape for this critical game — should be feeling much better.

With Lindsey Vonn and boyfriend Tiger Woods on the sideline to watch the NFL’s must-see game of the year, the Denver offensive line, featuring tackles Chris Clark and Orlando Franklin, shut out Kansas City’s sack duo of Justin Houston and Tamba Hali along with the rest of the K.C. defence, which came in with a league-leading 36 sacks.

It was even better than that, though. Manning was barely touched all night. In fact, his most notable contact came in the first quarter when he and Montee Ball flubbed a handoff that Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson scooped up.

Johnson was barrelling toward the end zone and what could have been a 7-3 lead. Manning lowered his shoulder and tripped him up. The Chiefs’ offence came out and fullback Anthony Sherman promptly fumbled the ball back to the Broncos.

Three plays later, Manning made the game’s biggest play, spotting receiver Demaryius Thomas in single coverage on the sideline for a 70-yard gain that set up the quarterback’s lone touchdown pass — a nine-yard strike to Julius Thomas for a 10-0 lead.

The Chiefs’ defence, which came into the game also leading the league in points allowed (12.8), remained stout throughout against the league’s highest-scoring offence (41.2). But eventually, Manning and Co., overwhelmed them, going 79, 65 and 52 yards for their last three scores and a 27-10 lead.

Ball capped two of the drives, once from one yard and another time from eight, to atone for the fumble, which was actually charged to Manning.

The Chiefs, who hadn’t lost since a 38-3 setback in Denver last December to close out a 2-14 season, hadn’t allowed more than 17 points all year — a simple and effective explanation for one of the biggest turnarounds in NFL history.

But the offence, led by Alex Smith, simply isn’t built to win a high-scoring showdown.

Smith finished with 230 yards and two touchdowns. He completed four passes for 57 yards to Dwayne Bowe, who started, as promised, while his legal case for marijuana possession plays out. Jamaal Charles, who came in leading the AFC in rushing with 725 yards, added 78 to that.

But there was no big-play ability and the cool weather — game-time temperature 6 C — that brought Manning’s blue-and-grey glove out for the first time this season didn’t slow the quarterback or his offence at all.

Knowshon Moreno ran for 79 yards and kept the chains moving for Denver, while Wes Welker took his turn as Manning’s favourite target, catching eight passes for 72 yards before leaving to be evaluated for a possible concussion.

Though one touchdown pass marked a season low for Manning, it gave him 71 in his year-plus with the Broncos, already tying him for third in franchise history with Jake Plummer and Brian Griese. His 34 on the season are still on pace to break the record of the man he’ll face next week — Brady — in yet another big game for the Broncos, this time at New England.

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